Be Patient; Every Vote Must Be Counted
Every eligible voter should have their voice heard and their vote counted. But due to the coronavirus pandemic and health concerns, more people decided to vote by mail than ever before and absentee ballots take longer to count because of security measures to verify the accuracy of those ballots. We need to be patient so our election officials can take the time to make sure every eligible vote is counted accurately.
This is among the most important elections in American history, and we need to make sure that all voters are able to cast their ballots safely and securely – without fear that their ballots will be invalidated just because they are being counted later than others. In a democracy the voters pick their leaders; not the other way around. When we count every vote, we ensure that the will of the people determines the outcome of our elections.
As a union that represents county workers who are often helping run our elections, we ask for patience while ballots are being counted -this is exactly how our system is supposed to work, every vote counts!
You have a right to take time off work to vote without losing your pay, personal leave, or vacation time. Your employer must pay you for the time you need to vote, if it falls within your scheduled work time. Your employer cannot require you to use personal leave or vacation time.
Polls are open TODAY until 8pm. Please visit mnvotes.org to find your polling place. Democracy depends on union members and allies leading by example and voting to elect leaders who share our values: Protecting our pensions and health care, investing in public services and our communities and building our new future. To report any voter intimidation, please call 1-866-OUR-VOTE.
AFSCME Program
I want to personally thank the AFSCME members and retirees who filled hundreds of volunteer shifts and we connected with more AFSCME members than ever before -not just about politics, but about our common bond of being union members and our shared values. We made over 66,000 phone calls to AFSCME members, householders, and retirees alone and sent over 130,000 text messages to AFSCME Council 5 and 65 members. And through our successful lost time program, AFSCME Council 5 members made thousands of often quite personal phone calls to our members asking how they are doing, what we as a union can do to help, and convey our shared values and ask how they feel about those values. COVID has often separated us, but as a union, we are determined to make sure we stay connected and hear from our members directly.
We thank our sister Council 65 and our International Union on our joint effort to make sure that every eligible voter participates in our democracy.
Remain United
We know that every political year, anti-worker organizations and Super PACs try to divide us along race, class, geography, gender identity/expression, political opinion, sexual orientation, religion/non-religion and so much more; But if we are truly united and hold true to our shared values of protecting and expanding collective bargaining, safe staffing, investing in public services and employees, taxing the wealthy and profitable corporations and investing in all of our communities including communities of color then we can accomplish anything.
We are a proud "big tent" union that accepts everyone. And I want to make it clear that you have a place in AFSCME Council 5. Thank you.
Julie Bleyhl
Executive Director
AFSCME Council 5, AFL-CIO
